Building a career across borders: Griffin Thissen’s Move to Australia

When Griffin Thissen joined Proxima as a graduate in the US, he already had an eye on the world beyond his home market. Born in Minneapolis, educated in New Orleans and Madrid, and later based in Chicago, his career had already taken him across cities and cultures before an opportunity came up to relocate to Australia.

Now based in Melbourne, Griffin Thissen is part of Proxima’s growing Australia team, working with clients across APAC and helping build the firm’s regional presence during an exciting period of integration and growth. In this conversation, he reflects on what drew him to an international move, how working in Australia has shaped his consulting style, and why relocating with Proxima has been as much about personal growth as professional development.

“I could talk for hours about how my life has expanded since moving to Australia.”

Looking back, what originally attracted you to the opportunity to relocate from the US to Australia, and what ultimately convinced you to make the leap?    

“I’ve always wanted to live internationally. My mom lived in Latin America in her early career, which I admired growing up, so the opportunity to work or live abroad has always appealed to me. I know that experiencing perspectives outside your comfort zone makes you better able to connect with a broader range of people.

That’s one of the reasons Proxima was such an attractive place to work in the first place. When I was asked if I was interested in moving to Australia with the company, there wasn’t much convincing needed – I was all in as soon as I understood the opportunity.

Funny enough, I’d been visiting my siblings in New York, and mentioned to my family that I was planning to ask Proxima about doing a project in Australia. One week later, I was told about the opportunity. No connection to my conversation, but I’ll take it as a sign I was ready.”

What has surprised you most about working with clients and colleagues in Australia compared to your experience in the US?

“One of the great things about Proxima is even in the US, I was lucky enough to work extensively with colleagues from Wales and England, so I felt used to working with some cultural differences.

What’s unique to Australia is the ease and authenticity with which people get along and interrelate – a bit more informal, in the best way. It took some adjusting, but it has taught me to open up more with clients and build stronger relationships, which in turn helps me understand the problems we’re solving more deeply. Beyond that, it’s just been a hugely positive experience. I’ve met mentors and friends and the team here has embraced me and shown me the culture in a way that’s made the move feel easy from day one.”

Since joining Proxima Australia, how has your role evolved, and what opportunities have accelerated your professional growth?

“I landed in Melbourne the day before the Australian and Asian business were integrated into Proxima so it was an exciting time. The integration presented a lot of challenges – creating a company and brand presence in Asia Pacific that we experience elsewhere, meeting an entire new group of coworkers, establishing ways of working, and understanding the dynamics of a market that is different from the one where I had lived most of my life. The learnings from this process will be so valuable for the rest of my career.

Because we were creating a new team and blending business practices, I had the chance to wear a lot more hats and had the opportunity to step into unfamiliar situations. That has of course created exciting opportunities for growth—end-to-end ownership, picking up new categories, and being a decision maker. And it gave me a real sense of responsibility for what we’re building here. None of that was possible without the ability to lean heavily on Proxima’s global network, continuing to seek advice and expertise from colleagues in the US and elsewhere to fill in gaps in my own experience. And as more people have joined the Australian team, I’ve found myself on the other side of that, helping newer consultants find their footing the way others helped me..”

Australia is often seen as a gateway to the wider APAC region. How has being based here broadened your exposure to different markets, industries, or ways of thinking?

“Procurement and consulting require you to be both agile and responsive to change, especially in a region as diverse as APAC. Being based in Australia has meant working with clients across the region, where market dynamics, supply base, and regulations look different both within region and different than what I was used to in the US.

We’ve been engaged for a lot of diagnostic work as we build relationships here and establish Proxima as a top procurement consultancy, and that’s meant delivering quick, credible insights. Because of that, we’ve been leaning on our knowledge base from other regions to get there fast. But it’s more nuanced than applying it straight to the new client. Instead, it’s meant adapting that expertise to a different set of factors, staying on top of the news, and working to stay relevant for each specific situation. And it’s been gratifying to see us truly help clients solve difficult problems to make them stronger.

I’m currently on a project that’s been significantly affected by geopolitical disruption of shipping routes, increased production costs, supply chain risk, in ways that play out differently here than they would in the US. It’s meant learning to read the region by understanding what’s happening on the ground and what the specific business needs are, not just applying what’s worked elsewhere.
In the long run, I am sure the insights I am gaining from working in the APAC region – the ways it has opened my eyes and expanded my vision – will help me serve clients better wherever they are located.”

Relocating internationally is about more than just work. What has been your favourite part of experiencing Australia from a lifestyle and cultural perspective?

“I could talk for hours about how my life has expanded since moving to Australia. I’ve been able to travel around Oceania and Asia to different cities and countries. Along the way, meeting a ton of people with stories very different than my own.

I’ve made it a goal to visit all seven Australian states and get to the national parks, and to learn the history of the country I’m living in. I won’t say the food in Melbourne is better than Chicago, I’ll leave that one for someone else to decide. Culturally, I’ve leaned into footy games, the beach, all of it. But the thing that’s genuinely surprised me is basketball. I’ve found a great community here, and the game itself is a bit different, more fundamentals-focused than what I grew up with in the US. It’s led to some of my best friendships since moving.

At the end of the day, Melbourne is now a place I call home. The opportunity Proxima offered me to move here has created relationships and experiences that will last beyond my time in Australia.”

For someone considering an international move with Proxima, what’s one thing you’d tell them that you wish you’d known before making the move yourself?

“Embrace the opportunity. The culture at Proxima doesn’t end at the border of your country or continent even, and that makes the move that much better.

Proxima made the move itself seriously easy. The company checked in throughout to make sure everything was going smoothly. Someone told me before I left that I’d go through a honeymoon phase, and then it would get real, and they were right. Being genuinely far from home in a new place is a difficult adjustment at the start, and you have to work through it. I have now, and the last few months have honestly felt like a flow state.

I wish I’d taken their advice more seriously at the time, but I’ve also learned that just embracing change — with its challenges and benefits — as it comes is its own kind of good advice. None of it would’ve been possible without the team behind me either. My Chicago team has stayed close and kept backing my growth from afar, and paired with the team I’ve got here in Australia, I always feel empowered to take on new challenges. That kind of support, across offices and time zones, says a lot about what makes Proxima’s culture different.”